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Paul Thorn has been pleasing crowds for years with his muscular brand of roots music - bluesy, rocking and thoroughly Southern, yet also speaking universal truths. The Tupelo, Mississippi native took an unexpected detour on the road to recording his latest album. After writing many discs of semi-autobiographical tunes, the critically acclaimed singer/songwriter - hailed as the "Mark Twain ... Read more in Amazon's Paul Thorn Store

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

I bought this album from Paul when he supported Jools Holland in Bournemouth, UK a couple of years ago. He performed with support from just one other guitarist to an audience who had never heard of him, and were waiting for the main act. Using a combination of wit and great songs, by his third number he had the audience eating out of his hand. This album is every bit as good as that performance, and is a gem. Just where is Tupilo, Missisippi (sp?)

Where do I start? I first heard him on KPIG. . . been in the radio and music business all my life . . . have more than 12,000 vinyl records . . . I've "heard it all". So, it takes something very special to get my attention . . . Paul Thorn is very special. Listen to me!!! No, listen to him! Plus, I am very proud to say that he is a personal friend. Nothing I can write here will convince you . . . but, his music will.

The first time I heard of Paul Thorn, he was a support act for Jools Holland (ex of English band Squeeze) on a UK tour. And did he shine !! He played a number of tunes from Hammer And Nail, knocking spots off the headline artist, and I bought a copy.Hammer And Nail is an album that hooks you from the first playing. And just keeps getting better every time you listen. His tunes are catchy and his lyrics well written. He conveys the emotion in his songs very well, particularly the heart ache in Temporarily Permantly Mine and humour in 800 Pound Jesus.If you buy one album this year, buy this one.

Paul Thorn is one of the greatest performers to emerge in the last few years. I last saw him live with Mark Knopfler, and he thrilled the crowd. I met him afterward, and he is a truly down to Earth, friendly guy. This is one of my favorite Thorn CD's, with plenty of his usual wit, peculiar humor, and excellent musicianship present throughout.

For me the standout track on the disc is "I'd Rather Be a Hammer Than a Nail" a wry song with numerous biographical revelations about Thorn. I particularly like the passage relating to his former career as a boxer. When he tells the story of taking on Roberto Duran in the introduction to the song in concert, he makes the audience roar with laughter, which the song then thoroughly reinforces. This is a great CD from start to finish, and I highly recommend it.

Paul Thorn deftly mixes a back country sensibility, genuine Christian faith and a wicked sense of humor on his bluesy/country album Hammer + Nail. The songs are frequently humorous (try 800 Pound Jesus and an unlisted track Joanie, the Jehovah Witness Stripper) and often passionate pleas to the woman who left him behind (Double Wide Paradise, Temporarily Forever Mine and I Bet He Knows). The songs are well crafted with simple melodies, sung with a gravelly voice peppered with fire. If you're into singers like Johnny Lang, or if you're in touch with your trailer park roots, this is an album not to be missed.

Paul Thorn's subsequent CDs have made me see this in a different light. There's no doubt he's talented, and very entertaining, but in a kind of home grown way, not a polished, produced to the hilt way. So it's weird when you go back to Hammer and Nail and hear Paul acting so serious, with high, yet not particularly nice, production values. It doesn't seem right. It seems artificial.

And yet, there are some great songs here that I can't imagine Paul Thorn could've done justice to without the upscale production on this album. So it's a bit of a conundrum. It's not that it sounds phoney, but... there's just some quality about this that I can't put my finger on that stops me being totally involved.

Best song on the album though is the stripped down 'Temporarily Forever Mine', which rises above the production. 'Sure Sign' is pretty distinctive too, and 'I Bet He Knows' is darn catchy.

I recently saw Paul open for John Prine and was very impressed. I visited his website after the show and bought "Hammer and Nail" there isn't a song here that I don't enjoy. He has a great talent for telling a tale that you can relate to. All of the songs on this disc tell of things that could have happened to all of us.